De Lucrecia collantini coniuge · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Lucrecia collantini coniuge
Subject: Lucretia; Rape; Roman Mythology; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: Lucretia is depicted on the left-hand side of the engraving, lying in bed as she is approached by Sextus, her husband’s relative. We know that these figures are Lucretia and Sextus as their names are engraved above their heads. Lucretia is depicted with her hands crossing her chest as Sextus is forcing himself upon her. He is illustrated with a sword in his hands as he is threatening to kill her if she screams for help. The right-hand side of the engraving illustrates Lucretia with her husband, Collantinus, and her husband’s relative, Brutus (their names are engraved at the top of the engraving). Lucretia told the men what Sextus had done to her in the night, and then plunged a knife into her own chest in shame.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:11954
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_11954_OBJ.jpg